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"Scum always rises to the top, but instead of scraping it off and discarding it, most people follow it!?!"
--Sherlyn Meinz, 2008
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 | Business/Economy: A Labor Day Commitment to the Common Good |
 by: Jim Hightower
America's corporate chieftains must love poor people, for they're doing all they can to create millions more of them.
They're knocking down wages, offshoring everything from manufacturing jobs to high tech, reducing full-time work to part-time, downsizing our workplaces, busting unions, cutting health care coverage and canceling pensions -- while also lobbying in Washington to privatize Social Security, eliminate job safety protections, restrict unemployment benefits, kill job-creating programs and increase corporate control of our elections.
It's said that the poor and the rich will always be among us. But nowhere is it written that the middle-class will always be there. In fact, it is a very recent creation in our society (and an unavailable dream for most people in the world). America's great middle class literally arose with the rise of labor unions and populist political movements in the 1800s, finally culminating in democratic economic reforms implemented from the 1930s into the 1960s.
Social Security, wage AND hour laws, collective bargaining rights, unemployment compensation, the GI Bill, the interstate highway program, civil rights laws, Medicare, Head Start -- and more -- provided the national framework necessary to sustain a middle class for the American Majority. ...
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Posted by Blue1moon on Monday, September 06 @ 16:30:23 EDT (12 reads)
(Read More... | 5139 bytes more | Comments? | Business/Economy | Score: 0)
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| Business/Economy: This Labor Day Be All You Can Be---Become a Labor Organizer |
LABOR ORGANIZERS CAN BEAT ARMY FOR EXCITING EXISTENCE
By Sherwood Ross
If you’re seeking an exciting career that's really fraught with risk and danger and that makes the world a better place, forget about joining the Army: become a labor organizer!
You’ll be called upon to risk your job and your life and to face unjust jail terms for organizing on behalf of your fellow man and woman, with no way to fight back against thugs with guns and billy clubs except by using your wits. In today's recessionary world economy, with hundreds of millions of desperate unemployed workers who will cross picket lines to get a job, yours will be no easy task.
Let's compare the careers of Army officers and labor organizers to see which actually comes closer to fulfilling that wonderful slogan of the Army's:“Be all you can be.” ...
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Posted by Blue1moon on Saturday, September 04 @ 18:14:52 EDT (21 reads)
(Read More... | 5163 bytes more | Comments? | Business/Economy | Score: 0)
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| War News: Corporatizing and Militarizing Memorial Day for "Fun" and Profit |
by: Camillo "Mac" Bica, t r u t h o u t | Op-Ed
Since the beginning of the 20th century, some 650,000 Americans have died fighting this country's many wars. Regardless of political affiliation and ideology, every American ought reverence such selfless sacrifice and understand and share the grief that this tragic loss of life entails. Though those of us who have known war hear the cries of the dying forever in our mind and suffer the pain and loss each day of our lives and need no holiday to remind us, Memorial Day is the occasion our nation sets aside to remember, to grieve and to honor those who have sacrificed their lives on behalf of "freedom."
Air shows, "exciting" demonstrations of the high tech, billion-dollar implements of war have become an increasingly popular way to "celebrate" Memorial Day in many parts of the country. The Southern Wisconsin Air fest and Missouri's Salute to Veterans 2010 are just two examples. Attracting thousands, in some cases tens of thousands, these extravaganzas have become prime locations for military recruitment. The Army's "Strength in Action Tour" regularly exploits such events "entertaining," "informing" and ultimately motivating young people to enlist. With its enormous budget, Army recruiters set up what is, for all intents and purposes, a mobile military circus and amusement arcade. Passersby, some as young as ten years old, need only provide their contact information into the Army database to receive an array of Army recruitment material and souvenirs - personalized dog tags, T-shirts, hats, footballs etc. ...
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Posted by Blue1moon on Monday, May 31 @ 16:57:33 EDT (108 reads)
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| History/Culture: The Beginning of Mother's Day |
From Peter Diamondstone
As all the adds for "Mothers' Day" consumption pile up in "news"papers and on TV and radio, it seems appropriate to print Julia Ward Howe's 1870 proclamation that began "Mothers' Day."
Julia Ward Howe's
Mother's Day Proclamation
(1870, Boston)
"Arise then...women of this day!
Arise, all women who have hearts!
Whether your baptism be of water or of tears!
Say firmly:
'We will not have questions answered by irrelevant agencies,
Our husbands will not come to us, reeking with carnage,
For caresses and applause.
Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn
All that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience. ...
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Posted by Blue1moon on Saturday, May 08 @ 18:05:40 EDT (158 reads)
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| History/Culture: The History and Traditions of Beltane/May Day |
by Sherlyn Meinz
AlienLove Editor
Beltane is considered one of the most important of the ancient holidays. It’s history goes back further than records exist. It is a time for renewal, regrowth and fertility - for the land, livestock, wild animals, and humankind. It welcomes summer, the awakening of the earth and personal growth. The holiday begins at sundown on April 30th and continues through sundown on May first. However, due to calendar changes over the centuries, in years past, it was actually celebrated several days later allowing for more plants to be in bloom. Celebrations of this holiday are held as late as May 5th.
The holiday has many names: Beltaine, Beltane, May Eve, May Day, Walpurgis Night, Roodmass, to name a few. Many try to stay up all night on Beltane Eve to welcome the dawn with singing and dancing. It is also said that if you sit under a tree, you may be lucky enough to hear or see the Queen of the Faeries as she rides her white horse. ...
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Posted by Blue1moon on Friday, April 30 @ 21:55:55 EDT (119 reads)
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| History/Culture: The History of Valentine’s Day/Feast of Lupercalia |
By Sherlyn Meinz
[a.k.a. Blue1moon]
How do you say “I Love You?” There are so many ways: Ti amo (Italy); Kanbhik (Mohawk); Jeg Elsker Deg (Norway); Ya tebya liubliu (Russia); Ich liebe dich (Germany); Aishiteru (Japan); Doo-set daaram (Persia); Iay ovlay ouyay (Pig Latin) to name just a few!
Happy Valentine’s Day! The history of this day, like most of our beloved holidays, goes back to ancient times. It’s meanings, celebrations, and rituals have changed over time, but for the most part, it has its roots in love, sex, romance, and choosing a mate. For a brief period, a Saint was chosen on this day to emulate during the coming year.
There are several ancient gods and goddesses associated with what we now call "Valentine's Day", originally two holidays, celebrated on February 14th and 15th. Some of these traditions are thought to date to around 400 BC, in Rome. ...
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Posted by Blue1moon on Wednesday, February 10 @ 20:34:12 EST (230 reads)
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| Business/Economy: Bitter Chocolate |
by Adrienne Fitch-Frankel
There are so many things to consider on Valentine’s Day: the reason you and your beloved were first attracted to each other, the amazing date you’ve planned, the perfect gift to express your affection. And, if you’re like most Americans, you’re thinking about buying chocolate. U.S. consumers purchase hundreds of millions of dollars of chocolate for their sweeties in the week leading up to February 14. With that in mind, here’s one more thing to consider:
Child slavery.
Yes, child slavery. It’s rampant in the cocoa industry.
Though the industry promised in 2001 to fix the problem, it hasn’t. Abusive child labor and slavery still makes your chocolate a bit bitter. A report funded by the State Department and others estimate that in West Africa, the source of 70 percent of the world’s cocoa, hundreds of thousands of children as young as five years old toil in the cocoa fields, with scores of them enduring the worst forms of child labor.
These kids clear fields, spray pesticides, and carry heavy sacks across vast distances. ...
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Posted by Blue1moon on Tuesday, February 09 @ 16:44:08 EST (141 reads)
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| History/Culture: Imbolc |
By Rhiannonbrighid
Imbolc is the Pagan festival that celebrates the coming of spring. Imbolc is also known as Candlemas, Oimealg, Imbolg, Brigantia, Lupercus, Disting, and Lupercalia. The festival is celebrated on February 1st or 2nd, or when the sun is at 15 degrees Aquarius. [In 2010 it falls on February 2nd.]
In Celtic lore, the dark winter months were ruled by a wicked old hag named Cailleach. By the time Imbolc rolls around, she leaves, and the goddess, Brighid, awakens. There is an old myth that the people would pour milk on the ground to put Cailleach to rest and welcome Brighid.
February is a very cold month where food ran low, fire wood was harder to obtain, and hunting usually proved to be unsuccessful. Keeping the hearth was very important to families. Brighid, a fire goddess, was a deity that families paid homage to in hopes that she would protect their hearth and fire. ...
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Posted by Blue1moon on Tuesday, February 02 @ 13:03:33 EST (165 reads)
(Read More... | 3158 bytes more | Comments? | History/Culture | Score: 0)
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| History/Culture: Groundhog Day! |
By Sherlyn Meinz
The use of animals to predict the pattern of weather seems to have been brought to the United States, and Pennsylvania in particular, by the Germans. Foretelling the weather by observing the hibernation behavior of bears, badgers and hedgehogs was common throughout Europe. At some point after the German settlers arrived in Pennsylvania, the tradition of using bears’ or badgers’ hibernation activity as a weather indicator changed into our current day predictions based on Groundhog activity.
This may be due to the fact that in 1723 the Delaware Indians set up a campsite in Punxsutawney, PA. The Indian name for the area was “ponksad-uteney” meaning, ‘the town of the sandflies.’ “Wojak the Groundhog” was considered to be an ancestral grandfather by this tribe, and our name ‘woodchuck’ comes from the legends of Wojak. The Delaware Indian’s creation beliefs held that all their forebearers began life as animals and later began to live and hunt as man. German settlers arrived in the area during the 1700’s as well. They also brought with them traditions from the Catholic Church of Candlemas Day on February 2nd. Ancient peoples celebrated on February 1st or 2nd the holiday of Imbolc, this day was at the halfway point between Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. Both pagan and Catholic customs honor Brigid on this day, as a Bringer of Light, during this dreary and cold time of year. ...
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Posted by Blue1moon on Tuesday, February 02 @ 08:00:10 EST (166 reads)
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| Opinion: "The Dream" Remains a Dream |
by: Dr. Wilmer J. Leon III, t r u t h o u t | Op-Ed
On January 18, 2010, America will celebrate the birth, death, and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. We will hear those powerful words, "I Have A Dream." What has troubled me over the years is how Dr. King, the visionary, prophet and revolutionary's vision, action and ultimate sacrifice have been hijacked, compromised and relegated to being those of just a dreamer.
Dreamers are safe, docile and non-threatening. People are comfortable with dreamers. Why? To be a dreamer, you must be in a restful state, usually asleep. To cast Dr. King in the light of a dreamer allows people to be convinced that action resulting from clear vision is not necessary. It allows the oppressed to be fooled into being patient and non-revolutionary; yours will come by-and by. It allows Dr. King's "Dream" - his vision - to remain a dream.
What many fail to realize is that Dr. King was no dreamer. He was a visionary, not some abstract thinker or philosopher. He was a prophet and a true revolutionary.
As I understand it, the original title of the "I Have A Dream" speech was "Normalcy - Never Again." ...
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Posted by Blue1moon on Monday, January 18 @ 19:11:16 EST (164 reads)
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| History/Culture: The State of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Dream in 2010 |
by Dedrick Muhammad
Over 40 years after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination, his words still speak to the social conditions that so many Americans face. Our unemployment rate is hovering at 10 percent, and the wealthiest 10 percent of us control over 70 percent of the nation's wealth. Economic inequality remains a barrier to greater racial equality. The national commemoration of King's birthday, therefore, is more for reflection than celebration.
During one of the worst economic crises seen in this country, black/white economic inequality is still a vast and greatly under-recognized challenge for this country. Two generations past the 1960s civil rights movement, African Americans make less than 60 cents on every dollar of income for whites. Their unemployment rate stands at 150 percent of the national average.
As King fought to end this country’s racial divisions, he recognized that economic inequality was as great a barrier to his vision of a more racially inclusive America as Jim Crow segregation laws. Many forget that the March on Washington, where King delivered his famed "I Have a Dream" speech, was actually called the “March on Washington for Freedom and Jobs.” ...
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Posted by Blue1moon on Thursday, January 14 @ 20:02:20 EST (167 reads)
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| Travel News: Tracking Santa with NORAD 2009 |
by Blue1Moon
Someone in the house want to check out Santa as he makes his rounds?
Did you know that NORAD uses four high-tech systems to track Santa?
Radar
Satellites
Santa Cams
Jet Fighter Aircraft
...
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Posted by Blue1moon on Thursday, December 24 @ 07:55:40 EST (190 reads)
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| Stories/Poems: Christmas on Mill Street |
By: Rosemarie Jackowski
It was December 24, 1914. The smell of cookies baking in the oven of the old coal stove filled the kitchen. Momma had just added another kettle of hot water to the big round metal wash tub. The tub was placed in front of the stove because that was the warmest place in the house.
Brother Stevie and Poppa were outside repairing the chicken coop. Suddenly Poppa came inside. As he brushed the snow off his coat, he whispered something to Momma. It was something about the 'old country' and war. Momma seemed sad and whispered that she would pray for peace. Then Poppa went back outside to finish his work.
Brother Julius had already taken his bath. Now he was sitting on the floor playing with the dog.
Momma said, "Little Tony it's your turn. Get in the tub. You want to be cleaned up for Christmas, don't you?"
Little Tony quickly took off his clothes and hopped into the tub. ...
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Posted by Blue1moon on Monday, December 21 @ 22:36:22 EST (200 reads)
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| Spirituality: The Big Jesus Question….Who Was He? |
By Howard Bess
Jesus from Nazareth was still a young man when he was killed in Jerusalem. The best estimate is that he was in his early 30s. His public career as a teacher and prophet was short. No longer than three years. His impact on poor, rural people in northern Palestine was profound. His listeners had never heard or seen anything quite like him. He made a trip to Jerusalem and his life was snuffed out quickly. He was crucified as a rabble rousing trouble maker.
After the shock of his death, the truth that he spoke took on a life of its own. His followers were emboldened to repeat his stories and sayings. The phenomenon of oral tradition among poor people worked its magic. His band of followers grew rapidly. Inevitably the key question was asked. “Who was he?”
The first writing witness about Jesus was Paul from Tarsus, the persecutor of Jesus followers. Paul had a profound spiritual experience while traveling toward Damascus. About ten years after the death of Jesus, Paul experienced Jesus as a blinding light that threw him to the ground. Paul became convinced that Jesus had been raised from the dead and was alive and powerfully at work in the world. ...
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Posted by Blue1moon on Friday, December 18 @ 21:57:24 EST (183 reads)
(Read More... | 5546 bytes more | Comments? | Spirituality | Score: 0)
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| Spirituality: O Little Town of Bethlehem! |
Israel, Palestine and American Christian Hypocrites
by Francis Boyle
It was December of 1991 and I was serving as Legal Advisor to the
Palestinian Delegation to the Middle East Peace Negotiations in
Washington
DC. The Israelis were stalling,not even negotiating in bad faith, and
the
Americans under Baker and Ross were doing nothing to get the
negotiations
started.
This had been going on for 3 weeks and Christmas was fast approaching.
Those
of us on the Palestinian Team who were Christian were wondering if we
were
going to be able to get home for Christmas--many Palestinians are
Christian,
the original Christians, going back to Jesus Christ and the Apostles
themselves. I would periodically check in with my wife and 2 sons at the
time--little boys. My poor, sweet wife had to do all the Christmas
preparations by herself without me. ...
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Posted by Blue1moon on Thursday, December 03 @ 13:48:30 EST (232 reads)
(Read More... | 3657 bytes more | Comments? | Spirituality | Score: 0)
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